Going Places</h1> <article> <h1>Going Places</h1> <p>tapplega — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:25:19 +0000</p> <span>Going Places</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-10-11T14:25:19-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 14:25">Wed, 10/11/2023 - 14:25</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Jasmine Mitchell knew a few things she wanted out of college, though she wasn’t sure how she would get them: She wanted to see the world, and she wanted to make a difference in it.</p> <p>“While studying abroad had always been a dream of mine, it wasn't financially feasible,” she recalls thinking.</p> <p>That changed through her experience at 91ֱ��, where she completed a degree in <a href="/node/3341">East Asian studies</a> in 2021 and devoted the next two years to a cultural exchange as a <a href="https://www.shansi.org/">Shansi Fellow</a> in Japan.</p> <p>Mitchell’s practicum course in <a href="/node/3391">91ֱ��’s Politics Department</a> opened her eyes to a career in the Foreign Service. That’s also when she learned more about Shansi and the ways it could help her get a foothold abroad.</p> <p>“The Shansi Fellowship was one of the reasons I chose 91ֱ��,” she says.</p> <p>Founded in 1908, 91ֱ�� Shansi provides opportunities for new and recent graduates to teach English in Asia in collaboration with local universities, NGOs, and other organizations. Shansi traces its roots even further—to the 91ֱ�� students who served as missionaries in China in the late 19th century.</p> <p>“Considering my career ambitions, the Shansi Fellowship provided me with a unique chance to enhance my cross-cultural communication skills, adapt to and connect with people from diverse backgrounds, navigate unfamiliar situations, and build resilience,” Mitchell says. It also encouraged her to deeply consider notions of national identity, engage in cultural exchanges, and lead students in their understanding of the U.S. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Fresh off a Shansi Fellowship in Japan, former East Asian studies major Jasmine Mitchell turns her focus to a new fellowship—and a role with the State Department.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-10-11T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/11/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Henry Hicks IV ’21</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3937">Afrikan Heritage House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25336">East Asian Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/east-asian-studies" hreflang="und">East Asian Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Jasmine Mitchell</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32107" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--slicer" data-text-size-large> <p>“Living and working at the Afrikan Heritage House helped me solidify my commitment to pursuing a career in the Foreign Service.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27819" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>This fall, Mitchell begins a new chapter: She was selected for a prestigious <a href="https://pickeringfellowship.org/">Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship</a>, which supports her pursuit of a master’s degree in Asian studies at the <a href="https://sfs.georgetown.edu/">Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University</a>. It also offers the unique opportunity to serve in the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service program. </p> <p>“Being selected to be a Pickering Fellow, in short, is a dream come true,” says Mitchell, a resident of Herndon, Virginia.</p> <p>“These amazing experiences as a Shansi Fellow inspired me to pursue the Pickering Fellowship as a means to continue my dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in international affairs.”</p> <p>Mitchell credits her 91ֱ�� experience—including the support of faculty mentors such as <a href="/node/42731">Candice Raynor</a> in <a href="/node/3431">Africana studies</a> and <a href="/node/25226">education studies</a>—with preparing her for both Shansi and Pickering. Her impressive tally of on-campus experiences includes serving as a student representative for the <a href="/node/410371">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a>; as vice chair of <a href="https://oberlinreview.org/23054/news/off-the-cuff-with-henry-hicks-and-jasmine-mitchell-senate-chairs/">student senate</a>; lead organizer for campus-wide co-curricular events such as Kumba Week, Kwanzaa Celebration, and <a href="/node/33116">Black History Month</a> programming; and, notably, as program assistant and resident assistant at <a href="/node/75981">Afrikan Heritage House</a>, the on-campus program house designated as a safe space for students of the African diaspora.</p> <p>“These experiences deepened my appreciation for the power of inclusive and diverse environments in shaping meaningful connections and driving positive change,” she says.</p> <p>“Living and working at the Afrikan Heritage House helped me solidify my commitment to pursuing a career in the Foreign Service, where I can continue to promote these values on a global scale.</p> <p>“Whether it’s through diplomatic negotiations, cultural exchanges, or policy initiatives, I want to actively work toward creating a more inclusive and cooperative international community,” Mitchell says. “I am deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the field, and the Pickering Fellowship serves as a powerful catalyst to help me achieve this vision.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>A Voice for the Voiceless</h1> <p>anagy — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 19:19:26 +0000</p> <span>A Voice for the Voiceless</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-04-07T15:19:26-04:00" title="Friday, April 7, 2023 - 15:19">Fri, 04/07/2023 - 15:19</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sydney Allen graduated from 91ֱ�� in 2019 with a major in English and minors in rhetoric and history. She worked at the <em>91ֱ�� Review</em> for four years, serving as editor-in-chief her senior year. A student-athlete, Allen was a member of the varsity women’s lacrosse team. She was also a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/resources-and-support/pal">Peer Advising Leader</a> (PAL), Peer Listener in the Peer Support Center, <a href="/arts-and-sciences/resources-and-support/soar">Sophomore Opportunities and Resources Program</a> Facilitator, and worked with the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/resources-and-support/wap">Writing Associates Program</a>. </p> <p>A native of Indianapolis, Allen has held internships with <em>Indianapolis Monthly</em>, the <em>Chronicle-Telegram</em> in Northeast Ohio, and her hometown congressional representative in Washington, D.C. In 2019, she was selected as a two-year <a href="https://www.shansi.org">91ֱ�� Shansi Fellow</a>, which took her to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to teach writing and introductory journalism courses at Universitas Gadjah Mada. In June 2021, she began a position as an associate editor and Green Voices coordinator at Global Voices Online. </p> <p>We caught up with Allen to learn more about her path in journalism.</p> <p><strong>What was it like traveling across the world after graduation and immersing yourself in Indonesian culture as a Shansi Fellow?</strong></p> <p>Shansi does a great job at preparing the fellows, letting people know what to expect, and sharing tips on how to get acclimated. It was definitely a challenge, but I clearly loved it because I’m still in Asia now. When I first moved to Indonesia, I studied Bahasa (a language in Indonesia) for two months, which was excellent. That really gave me the foundation I needed to continue learning Bahasa. </p> <p><strong>How did working in leadership and mentorship roles at 91ֱ�� prepare you for teaching students at an Indonesian university?</strong></p> <p>The Writing Associates Program helped me communicate more effectively and give feedback in ways that are kind and compassionate. There’s a pretty clear trajectory between my roles at 91ֱ�� and how my career has progressed so far. I see a very direct link between the skills I learned as a writing associate and the work I’ve done. Also, PAL was helpful in establishing connections with students who are interested in different subject areas, as well as learning how to mentor younger students. The Writing Associate program and PAL gives students a different side of 91ֱ�� and provides a lot of value. </p> <p><strong>Tell us about how you found work as an associate editor and Green Voices coordinator at Global Voices Online in Indonesia.</strong></p> <p>Shansi Executive Director <a href="https://www.shansi.org/executive-director">Gavin Tritt</a> informed me of this remote position that matched my interest in advocacy-related journalism. It’s turned out to be incredibly fulfilling and an endless supply of perspectives. Green Voices is a collective of journalists and researchers who mainly write about the Global South—a region that’s been overlooked by mainstream media. Most writers are volunteers, citizen journalists, and people who have been overlooked by larger outlets. We have 40 languages that we translate to bridge linguistic silos, so many people have accessible information. </p> <p><strong>What kinds of stories have you worked on at Global Voices Online?</strong> </p> <p>I’m editing and writing news stories about Indonesia, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and Central Asia. I’m also coordinating Green Voices, which is a group of environmental journalists around the world. This is a support mechanism to meet once a month and discuss the heavy topic of environmental issues while also forging connections. Mutual understanding and support between journalists can be really uplifting.</p> <p><strong>Can you provide some advice for 91ֱ�� students interested in journalism after graduation?</strong></p> <p>Get involved in as many things as you possibly can. It’s worth it to take advantage of many opportunities and go outside your comfort zone. See what appeals to you and push yourself to try new things. Getting into college is only a quarter of the battle. Finding out what’s important to you is a major part of your career journey. Find out what you like, and learn how to talk about it. I got this job through Shansi because I have always been vocal about what I’m interested in. Getting people to know about your interests and being able to talk about what you want in a way that is clear, concise, and confident is important.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Advocacy journalist Sydney Allen shines a spotlight on underrepresented regions.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-04-07T12:00:00Z">Fri, 04/07/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Ava Miller '25</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Since graduating, Sydney Allen has worked remotely for a global news outlet while traveling around Southeast Asia. Read more about Allen in this After 91ֱ�� Q&A.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3887">SOAR</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2771">Athletics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2418">Student-Athlete</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25451">Writing and Communication</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25381">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/english" hreflang="und">English</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Sydney Allen '19 is an associate editor and Green Voices coordinator at Global Voices Online.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Sydney Allen</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Trailblazing Musician Wu Man in Residence at 91ֱ��</h1> <p>jreinier — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:52:16 +0000</p> <span>Trailblazing Musician Wu Man in Residence at 91ֱ��</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-02-20T11:52:16-05:00" title="Monday, February 20, 2023 - 11:52">Mon, 02/20/2023 - 11:52</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This is due in large part to the artist Wu Man, recognized as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and a leading ambassador of Chinese music. She’ll be in residence at 91ֱ�� February 24-25 and take part in three events across campus that culminate in a concert with 91ֱ�� College quartet-in-residence, the <a href="/verona-quartet">Verona Quartet</a>. All events are free and open to the public.</p> <p>Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator, and composer, giving the pipa a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. The creative projects she has initiated have resulted in the instrument finding a place in numerous musical settings and genres, as well as in collaborations in theater productions, film, dance, and with visual artists.</p> <p>Born in Hangzhou, China, Wu Man was an early trailblazer. She was hailed as a child prodigy at age 13 and went on to earn the first master's degree in pipa the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She moved to the U.S. in 1990 and was awarded a Bunting Fellowship at Harvard Radcliffe in 1998.</p> <p>Since then, she has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s major orchestras and is the leading interpreter of contemporary pipa music written by composers including Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Tan Dun, and Bright Sheng.</p> <p>Her notable career has also been marked by several “firsts.” She was the first Chinese traditional musician to receive the United States Artist Fellowship and the first artist from China to perform at the White House. In 2013, she was named Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year.</p> <p>She is a founding member of the Silkroad Ensemble and is a frequent collaborator with ensembles such as the Kronos and Shanghai Quartets.</p> <p>It is her work with quartets—as well as her performance at Portland’s Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival—that inspired the Verona Quartet to reach out to Wu for a new collaboration.</p> <p>“We were at the festival and heard Wu Man’s concert, and were so struck by her artistry,” says Verona’s cellist, Jonathan Dormand. “That was the genesis of this particular project.”</p> <p>Dorothy Ro, Verona Quartet second violinist, expanded: “Wu Man has commissions from leading composers and is a composer herself. This program came together through a conversation about the meeting point between the western classical string quartet and the Chinese folk idiom, as well as how this interaction could become a mechanism for exploring the voices of global cultures and traditions.”</p> <p>The members of the multi-award-winning Verona Quartet hail from locations far and wide: first violinist Jonathan Ong is from Singapore; Ro is Canadian; violist Abigail Rojansky ’11 is from the San Francisco Bay area; and Dormand is from England.</p> <p>Dormand explained, “We come from all over, so the notion of ‘home’ is something that we’re very interested in exploring. Every culture, from every corner of the world, has discovered a way to find expression through music.”</p> <p>The partners have titled the program, "Goin' Home: An exploration of nostalgia and searching for home." “Goin Home” is sourced from Antonín Dvořák’s song setting in the Largo movement of his “New World” symphony—and it is the idea of “home” that serves as the guidepost for the music chosen. The performance here in 91ֱ��’s Warner Concert Hall will be the first for the collaboration. They will be on tour with this program next season.</p> <p>Wu Man’s residency at 91ֱ�� begins with a lecture on at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 24 in Dye Lecture Hall. Part of <a href="/events/guest_lecture_pipa_virtuoso_wu_man_unexpected_cross-cultural_collaborations">91ֱ�� Shansi’s Jacobson-Cocco Lecture Series</a>, she will give a talk, “Unexpected Cross-Cultural Collaborations,” about her personal journey creating a career for herself in a country which had no pipa tradition.</p> <p>On Saturday, February 25, Wu Man’s work turns to the Conservatory, first with a <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/guest_master_class_wu_man_pipa_6562">10:30 a.m. master class </a>for students in 91ֱ��’s Performance and Improvisation program. Performance and Improvisation (PI) Ensembles provide an opportunity for students to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of many different world musics and improvisation across a range of genres and styles.</p> <p><a href="/events/verona_quartet_with_wu_man">That evening at 7:30</a>, audiences will be treated to the concert. They will perform works by John Dowland, Antonín Dvořák, Luigi Boccherini, Sulkhan Tsintsadze, Zhao Jiping, and Wu Man. The concert is free, but <a href="/tickets/event-details?EventId=5201">reservations are required</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The pipa virtuoso and composer will perform with the Verona Quartet, teach, and lecture</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-02-20T12:00:00Z">Mon, 02/20/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The pipa is not an instrument on which students at 91ֱ�� Conservatory perform, but the lute-like instrument developed in China more than 2000 years ago is influencing increasingly more concert music found on stages throughout the world.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2366">Guest Artists & Speakers</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2865">Performance & Improvisation (PI)</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/verona-quartet" hreflang="und">Verona Quartet</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of the Verona Quartet and Wu Man</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Shansi Announces Summer 2019 In-Asia Grant Recipients</h1> <p>eulrich — Wed, 29 May 2019 14:11:13 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Shansi Announces Summer 2019 In-Asia Grant Recipients</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-05-29T10:11:13-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 10:11">Wed, 05/29/2019 - 10:11</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In-Asia grant recipients receive up to $1,500 to complete internships with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and conduct independent study on topics of their choosing. Upon returning to 91ֱ��, grant recipients present their projects to their peers. First, second, third, and fourth-year double degree students are encouraged to apply for In-Asia grants.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Leina Fieleke ’21<br> Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Leina Fieleke ’21, an art history and psychology double major with an East Asian studies minor, will work as a curatorial intern at the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels in Saitama, Japan. She will be working under the supervision of Yukinori Okamura, director and curator of the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels. Her project is titled “Anti-Nuclear Art Activism in the Context of the Maruki Museum.” At 91ֱ��, Fieleke works as a curatorial assistant of Asian art, a docent at the Allen Memorial Art Museum, a student assistant for the <a href="https://cilc.oberlin.edu/liase/" target="_blank">Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment (LIASE)</a>, is a <a href="/node/157836" target="_blank">Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellow</a>, and is cochair of the Japanese Student Association.</p> <p>“Thinking about what I want to do with my life, I realized one of the most important things to me was to go to Japan and improve my language abilities,” she says. “I think this experience could be transformative for me not just in terms of my language abilities and art historical learning, but also in how I include Japan in my life in the future.”</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Charles Cui ’20<br> Photo credit: Courtesy of Charles Cui</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Mathematics and computer science double major Charles Cui ’20 will explore the social and cultural dimensions of bookstore culture in Taiwan in the digital age through his project, “Nightclubs for Literature: Bookstore Culture in Taiwan.” Cui will interview bookstore owners and customers in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. An international student from China, he is looking forward to developing connections between Asia and 91ֱ��, as well as learning about the continent from a different perspective.</p> <p>“Opportunities like this will really help me understand social phenomena in a comprehensive way and help me become a better communicator through foreign immersion,” Cui says. “What excites me the most is the unknown. I always learn the most from the unexpected.”</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Lea Watkins-Chow ’22<br> Photo credit: Chris Schmucki ’22</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Lea Watkins-Chow ’22 is an environmental studies major and will be working with Tian Shen Ling Organic Farm in Central Taiwan through <a href="https://wwoof.net/" target="_blank">Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)</a>. Watkins-Chow will learn about generational relationships and knowledge of agricultural systems through her project, “Growing in Taiwan: Interactions Between Generations and Agriculture.” She is looking forward to improving her Mandarin and connecting with Taiwanese culture.</p> <p>“Exposure to permaculture and sustainable food systems, in addition to Mandarin and Taiwanese culture, will enhance my academic and extracurriculars here at 91ֱ��,” Watkins-Chow says. She is a member of 91ֱ�� College Climate Lobby and Sunrise, an on-campus environmental organization.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Neko Cortez ’20<br> Photo credit: Courtesy of Neko Cortez</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Jazz trombone major Neko Cortez ’20 will study traditional Philippine instruments and pedagogical techniques in Quezon City, Philippines. In his project, “Finding My Unique Voice Through Musical Syncretism,” he will explore the intersections of music and community with other art forms. As the culmination of his project, Cortez will compose a musical piece that blends traditional Southeast Asian music forms with jazz music. He will give a performance of his work upon returning to 91ֱ��.</p> <p><strong><a class="view-more" href="https://www.shansi.org/iag2019" target="_blank"> Read more about previous In-Asia grant recipients</a>.</strong></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-05-29T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/29/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funded by <a href="https://www.shansi.org/" target="_blank">91ֱ�� Shansi</a>, In-Asia grants enable students to immerse themselves in winter term and summer projects in East, Southeast, and South Asia.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2563">Grants</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2378">Allen Memorial Art Museum</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25336">East Asian Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25401">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25301">Art History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35836">Trombone</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25321">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/east-asian-studies" hreflang="und">East Asian Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics" hreflang="und">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" hreflang="und">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">91ֱ�� Shansi Open House</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Pang Fei Chiang ’19</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Shansi Announces 2019-2021 Fellows</h1> <p>eulrich — Thu, 23 May 2019 16:16:11 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Shansi Announces 2019-2021 Fellows</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-05-23T12:16:11-04:00" title="Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 12:16">Thu, 05/23/2019 - 12:16</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Founded in 1908, the 91ֱ�� Shansi Memorial Association fosters cross-cultural engagement through educational and cultural interchange at 91ֱ�� College, as well as opportunities for current students and alumni to participate in this exchange in Asia.</p> <p><a href="https://www.shansi.org/about-the-fellowships" target="_blank">The Shansi Fellows program</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span> enables recent graduates to teach and participate in service projects with universities and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in China, India, Indonesia, and Japan.</p> <p>In addition to fellowships, 91ֱ�� Shansi provides funding and support for various on-campus initiatives that promote increased comprehension and appreciation of Asian culture and history, including sponsorship for visiting scholars, student organization events, guest lectures, performances, and a host of Asia-related initiatives and events year-round.</p> <p>The organization also awards <a href="https://www.shansi.org/iag-grants" target="_blank">In-Asia grants</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span> for current students to intern with NGOs and conduct independent studies during winter term or summer.</p> <h2>2019-2021 Indonesia Fellows</h2> <p>Dance graduate Niko Thomashow ’19 began their fellowship teaching at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in February 2019. They are working in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences and the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies.</p> <p>Sydney Allen ’19, an English major with minors in rhetoric and history, will also teach at Gadjah Mada University after graduating.</p> <p>Emily Peterson ’19, an English and environmental studies double major, will work at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, teaching English and other subjects in the university’s Language Center and School of Education.</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="#" target="_blank">Read more about the Indonesia fellows</a></p> <h2>2019-2021 Japan Fellows</h2> <p>Neuroscience major Sara Chang ’19 and Emily Eisenstein ’19, a psychology major and East Asian studies minor, will both teach and support student activities at J.F. 91ֱ�� University in Machida, Japan.</p> <p>Chang has long been interested in Japanese history and culture and is looking forward to exploring ideas of cultural exchange further during her fellowship. “I also hope to become a doctor and believe teaching is a very useful tool for this field,” she says. “I am looking forward to learning a new language and starting a new stage in my life!”</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="#" target="_blank">Read more about the Japan fellows</a></p> <h2>2019-2021 India Fellows</h2> <p>English and environmental studies graduate Kate Little ’19 will lead the International Study Center at Lady Doak College in Madurai, India, supporting international engagement and service learning projects.</p> <p>Kiran Melnyk ’17, an environmental studies graduate with a peace and conflict studies concentration, will work at the Jagori Grameen Rural Charitable Trust, an NGO in Himachal Pradesh, India.</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="#" target="_blank">Read more about the India fellows</a></p> <h2>China Fellows</h2> <p>Mackenzie Lew ’19, a history and comparative American studies major, will teach English and study Chinese at Beijing Normal University from 2019-2020.</p> <p>Lew is most looking forward to practicing Mandarin daily during her 2019-2020 fellowship year. “I have been studying Chinese for several years, so it’s always been a goal to study and work in China. I’ve been involved with 91ֱ��’s Asian American community throughout my four years here in student organizations and planning events such as <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/albums/72157674225573927" target="_blank">Asian Night Market</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span> and the Midwest Asian American Student Conference. After graduating, I hope to stay involved with Asian American communities, and I think language is a key part of that work.”</p> <p>Sociology major Le’Priya White ’19 will work at Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, China from 2019-2021, teaching English and academic writing to graduate students and undergraduate English majors.</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="#" target="_blank">Read more about the China fellows</a></p> <p><a class="view-more" href="https://www.shansi.org/" target="_blank">Discover 91ֱ�� Shansi</a></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-05-23T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/23/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Nine graduating seniors and alumni will complete fellowships in China, India, Indonesia, and Japan from 2019-2021.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Shansi House</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Shansi Fellows for 2019-2021</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-desc field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� alumni and recent graduates will complete fellowships in Indonesia, Japan, India, and China.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">John Seyfried</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="photo-gallery__slides"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Emily Peterson is Shansi fellow to Indonesia.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Schmucki ‘22</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Sydney Allen is Shansi fellow to Indonesia.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Schmucki ’22</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Niko Thomashow is Shansi fellow to Indonesia.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of 91ֱ�� Shansi</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Sara Chang is Shansi fellow to Japan.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Schmucki ’22</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Emily Eisenstein is Shansi fellow to Japan.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Shmucki ’22</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Kiran Melnyk is Shansi fellow to India.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Kiran Melnyk</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Kate Little is Shansi fellow to India.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Courtesy of Kate Little</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Mackenzie Lew is Shansi fellow to China.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Schmucki ’22</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__wrapper"> <figure class="photo-gallery__slide"> <div class="photo-gallery__slide__image"> </div> <figcaption> <span class="figure__caption">Le’Priya White is Shansi fellow to China.</span> <span class="figure__credit">Photo credit: Chris Schmucki ’22</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="photo-gallery__navbar"> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> <figure class="photo-gallery__navbar__item"> </figure> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Shansi Selects 2018 Fellows</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 15:34:15 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Shansi Selects 2018 Fellows</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-06-11T11:34:15-04:00" title="Monday, June 11, 2018 - 11:34">Mon, 06/11/2018 - 11:34</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Seven recent graduates have been selected as 91ֱ�� Shansi fellows for 2018. This summer, they will head to China, India, Indonesia, and Japan for intensive language study before embarking on their two-year fellowships, where they will work for university partners and non-governmental organizations.</p> <p>The newly selected Fellows are <a href="http://www.shansi.org/andrew-boor-bio">Andrew Boor ’18</a>, <a href="http://www.shansi.org/austin-cope-bio">Austin Cope ‘15</a>, <a href="http://www.shansi.org/sydney-garvis-bio">Sydney Garvis ’18</a>, <a href="http://www.shansi.org/radia-lahlou-bio">Radia Lahlou ‘18</a>, <a href="http://www.shansi.org/laura-li-bio">Jingyi Laura Li ’18</a>, <a href="http://www.shansi.org/jenny-luan-bio">Xin Jenny Luan ‘18</a>, and <a href="http://www.shansi.org/leah-wood-bio">Leah Wood ‘16</a>. They will join the seven Shansi fellows who are currently completing their first year in the field.</p> <p>91ֱ�� Shansi is an independent, nonprofit organization promoting understanding and communication between 91ֱ�� and Asia. Founded in 1908, it is one of the oldest educational exchange programs in the United States.</p> <p>This year, Shansi awarded its first Independent Fellowship to Jingyi Laura Li, a double major in East Asian studies and cinema studies. The new program provides an opportunity for motivated graduates to create their own individualized two-year fellowship in China, India, Indonesia, or Japan. Li designed her fellowship to work with Taktopia, a young Japanese company with a social enterprise approach that focuses on personalized language learning that fits each student’s unique educational goals.</p> <p>The intent of the Independent Fellowship is to experience deep cultural immersion while developing academic and professional skills, building networks with peers and counterparts, contributing to a host institution, and pursuing knowledge of an issue or field.</p> <p>Other Shansi programs include In-Asia Grants for 91ֱ�� students to undertake independent projects in Asia during summer and winter term, visiting scholar awards that enable faculty and staff from Asian partner institutions to spend a semester or year at 91ֱ��, and various on-campus programs at 91ֱ��.</p> <p>Read the full profiles of the 2018 fellows <a href="http://www.shansi.org/single-post/2018/04/30/Announcing-the-2018-Shansi-Fellows">here</a>.</p> <p><br> </p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-06-11T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/11/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Traveling with Teresa Tippens '15</h1> <p>tsloan — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 16:18:48 +0000</p> <span>Traveling with Teresa Tippens '15</span> <span><span>tsloan</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-09-19T12:18:48-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 12:18">Tue, 09/19/2017 - 12:18</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p dir="ltr">When Teresa Tippens ’15 traveled to Indonesia on an 91ֱ�� winter-term trip in 2014, she hardly expected to return to the country at all, let alone live there for an extended period of time. Fast forward to today, and Tippens has recently returned from a two-year 91ֱ�� Shansi fellowship teaching English in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.</p> <p dir="ltr">Before Tippens arrived to campus for her first year, <a href="http://www.shansi.org/">Shansi</a>—an 91ֱ��-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering cross-cultural discourse and education between 91ֱ�� students and people in Asia—was already in her purview. Tippens’ mom, also an Obie, urged her to keep the program in mind because she spent her junior year of high school abroad in Japan and fell in love with the country’s culture.</p> <p dir="ltr">Teaching English is only part of the postgraduate fellowship, however, and Tippens made the most of her time outside the classroom. Upon arrival, she immediately immersed herself in Yogyakarta’s culinary scene. Recalling her time as the Pyle Dining Cooperative’s “tasty things maker,” Tippens says the seeds of sustainable cooking had been planted, though she hadn’t been explicitly involved in that mission until returning to Indonesia. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I got to Yogyakarta and I just really wanted to cook,” Tippens says. “I got really involved with the foodie community there, and a lot of my really good friends ended up coming out of that. More broadly speaking, I became really interested in sustainability.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her newly realized passion for sustainability resulted in a partnership with an Australian woman also living in Yogyakarta, and Tippens began running development of a socially responsible fashion brand. The experience also solidified Tippens’ inklings that she wants to pursue a career related to food, agriculture, and sustainability. And though only recently returned to United States, Tippens is already planning her return to Asia. She is currently the Shansi Return Fellow at 91ֱ��, recruiting students for the program and mentoring a group of Indonesian exchange students, while applying to graduate programs in sustainability in several Asian countries.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-09-19T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/19/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Sloan</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Teresa Tippens' '15 decision to study abroad in Japan as a junior in high school inspired a lifelong love for traveling, studying and living in Asia. She has taken advantage of 91ֱ��'s opportunities to return as often as possible, traveling on faculty-led winter-term trips and most recently completing a two-year Shansi fellowship in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. </p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After 91ֱ��</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2376">Study Away</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Teresa Tippens ’15 stands in front of a Hindu temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where she lived during her two-year Shansi fellowship after graduating. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Teresa Tippens</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Building Solidarity with Youth in Nepal</h1> <p>anagy — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 18:44:43 +0000</p> <span>Building Solidarity with Youth in Nepal</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-04-28T14:44:43-04:00" title="Friday, April 28, 2017 - 14:44">Fri, 04/28/2017 - 14:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When researching colleges and universities in the United States, Bikalpa Baniya was drawn to 91ֱ�� because he saw a lot of opportunities to engage in service projects on a local and global scale.</p> <p>“I’m the kind of person who likes to do stuff. I don’t get a lot out of classrooms,” says Baniya, a Bonner Scholar and second-year economics major from Kathmandu, Nepal. “I knew this was the place for me.”</p> <p>The choice was easy, but the transition was not. “Everything here is different. I can’t think of a single similarity. When I first got here, I hadn’t spoken English to this extent. My accent was really thick. I had to learn how friendships work.”</p> <p>In the spring before Baniya came to 91ֱ��, he was making plans as a newly accepted student and anticipating his future abroad. Then the massive earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015. He was at home in Kathmandu when the earthquake happened, but the worst destruction was felt further outward in the rural villages.</p> <p>Since the moment he arrived on campus, he knew he wanted to go back to help the hardest hit areas. He has committed to working on efforts that help impoverished communities in Nepal.</p> <p>In January 2016, he returned with a Shansi In-Asia winter term grant. He went to the most severely affected area—a remote village in the rural Sindhupalchowk District—which suffered the highest death toll and the most damage, with about 95 percent of its homes destroyed. The journey from Kathmandu took five hours by bus and another two hours by foot.</p> <p>“During that walk, I did not see a single house standing. People were living in temporary huts. There are a lot of farmers, but the water dried up, which was a huge concern. People were dying from the cold.”</p> <p>He volunteered and tutored in the village’s public school, even going to children’s homes to tutor and help them return to school.</p> <p>“These kids, after all they’ve gone through, they still want to learn and be something. Every parent I met, they wanted their kids to go to school, because job prospects will be better. But they don’t have the resources to support them.”</p> <p>The experience was certainly eye-opening, and Baniya knew he wanted to do more meaningful work with education in Nepal’s villages—but he couldn’t do it alone. “The problem was, I’m a college student halfway around the world, I didn’t have enough time. I needed a structure, a team back in Nepal.”</p> <p>He had been following the progress of <a href="http://www.mayauniverseacademy.org">Maya Universe Academy</a>, an innovative educational model in Nepal’s Tanahun District. It is the first and only private school in the region providing high-quality, cost-free education. Maya started in 2011 with the goal of enrolling 10 students. More than 200 families showed up for enrollment, and the academy has quickly grown to 400 students in three schools. The founder, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_rwcqPpXHc">Manjil Rana</a>, quit his studies in the U.S. and returned to Nepal to be a school teacher after the country’s 2006 uprising and democratization.</p> <p>“I reached out to them and asked if I could volunteer. I went there, and I was struck by the dedication and the sacrifice people had to give to establish this school. It was basically a tent in the beginning. The founder gave up his life to start this, and volunteers quit their jobs to help. It’s the first case where I saw education done right. It’s not just classes, but the way students are taught to speak up, be organized, and be diplomatic. Their vision is, they want these kids to grow up to study abroad, but unlike most people, come back.”</p> <p>Baniya wants 91ֱ�� to maintain solidarity with Nepal through his organization, Students United for Nepal. For his 2017 winter term project, Baniya recruited first-years Kristen Mayhew and Charles Cui to accompany him on a monthlong residency at Maya Universe Academy. They were among 18 who expressed interest and interviewed for the opportunity. Before the trip, he raised $7,000 in donations from businesses and individuals all over 91ֱ��. The money he raised is funding the construction of classrooms to meet the needs of growing enrollment.</p> <p>When Mayhew attended Baniya’s information session, it was clear that she would have a chance to do meaningful service while also having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.</p> <p>“I was really looking for something that I would never have the chance to try if I weren’t at 91ֱ��,” says Mayhew, an intended anthropology and creative writing major from Darien, Connecticut.</p> <p>As a volunteer teacher, she taught a creative writing workshop to the sixth-grade class. In her workshop, the students crafted their first typed and edited short stories.</p> <p>“I taught the basic diagram of a story and technical things such as metaphors, similes, and dialogue. I spent a lot of the class time going around to each student and reading their stories, bouncing around ideas with the kids so they could move forward in their stories. Once the stories were all finished, they decided they would bind them into a book and use the book to help teach English to younger students at all three of Maya’s locations.”</p> <p>When she wasn’t in class, Mayhew worked in the school’s farms each day.</p> <p>“Every afternoon I spent with the agriculture team was different. Some days I just carried buckets of water from the tap to the tank that watered the crops, while other days I spent digging holes, harvesting crops, or carrying manure up the hill from the chicken coop. It was hard work in the brutal afternoon sun, but it was worthwhile. I spent those afternoons building good relationships with fellow volunteers and Nepali natives.”</p> <p>Mayhew was impressed with the quality of education at Maya. To pay for tuition, parents work in the school’s agriculture or construction two days a month. The school generates income by raising and selling its free-range chickens to restaurants and supermarkets in the cities.</p> <p>“The school is an amazing place. It does so many things well,” Mayhew says. “No child is ever left behind or allowed to fall through the cracks because there is always someone there to make sure they feel supported.”</p> <p>Cui, an intended math and computer science double major from Beijing, taught a course called Logic and Paradox, as well as a Chinese language class. “The students at Maya are very enthusiastic about studying and learning about volunteers and their life back home,” says Cui. “The school needs support with construction, such as building new classrooms, getting more lights, and Internet access.”</p> <p>The three took some time to visit other places throughout Nepal. In Kathmandu, they visited world heritage sites, museums, and temples, and hiked to a monastery. In Pokhara, they went paragliding, and at the end of their trip, they went on a safari and rode an elephant at Chitwan National Park.</p> <p>Mayhew says the adjustment to village life wasn’t difficult when she embraced it as a way of life.</p> <p>“Some might say that life in Nepal is just hard compared to life in the U.S., but once you accept that it’s simply how things are done, it’s easy to acclimate. In the U.S. I’m used to having a running tap with clean water, but in Nepal the only place to get clean water was about a half mile walk from where I slept. Sometimes those types of differences seemed like difficulties, but once I reminded myself that it’s not an inconvenience, it’s just life, I was able to feel at home.”</p> <p>Baniya is planning to return with more 91ֱ�� students in summer 2017. He will also continue to do more fundraising for projects at the school.</p> <p>“I want to help education in Nepal. The villages have hooked me,” Baniya says. “The people there are so friendly and welcoming. In the villages, the most important thing is personal connections. I want to be with them and help in whatever way I can.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-03-01T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/01/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">From left, Bikalpa Baniya, Kristen Mayhew, and Charles Cui during a tour of Kathmandu, Nepal, during winter term 2017.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Bikalpa Baniya</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Julia Skrovan '15 Receives Shansi Grant to Indonesia</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:35 +0000</p> <span>Julia Skrovan '15 Receives Shansi Grant to Indonesia</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:35-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Julia Skrovan ’15 has been awarded a two-year Shansi Fellowship to Indonesia. For her fellowship, Skrovan will teach English and lend writing support to undergraduate and graduate students at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh. She will additionally spend time teaching for the master's program in the English education section of Teacher Training and Education at the university.</p> <p>While an undergraduate at 91ֱ��, the geology major and politics minor worked as a teaching assistant for several geology courses, the marketing assistant for the 91ֱ�� College Career Center, and the advertising manager for the <em>91ֱ�� Review</em>. She also sprinted and threw javelin for 91ֱ�� College Track & Field and served as a compost coordinator for the resource conservation team her first and second years.</p> <p>Skrovan has worked as the geographic information systems (GIS) research assistant for the geology department since graduating in spring 2015. In that role, she supported faculty and student research across departments related to spatial analysis and mapmaking using various GIS programs, GPS and surveying equipment, and ground penetrating radar (GPR). She also taught the GIS winter-term course, served as a teaching assistant for hydrogeology and GIS courses, and co-taught an ExCo on data visualization and communication.</p> <p>Skrovan says she applied to this fellowship to strengthen and challenge her understanding of other cultures, histories, and what it means to enter a community as a visitor, a teacher, and a scientist. Banda Aceh, she says, has a particularly dynamic history of human and environmental conflict, both of which have challenged its cultural inertia and adaptability. “My interests in geology and politics stem from a desire to explore that type of balanced friction: great levels of change coupled with endurance,” Skrovan says.</p> <p>Outside of her fellowship, Skrovan says she hopes to become involved with local scientists working on projects related to natural hazards and the environment and to engage in a variety of cultural learning. She says immersion in new cultures “at once reveals and deconstructs otherwise imperceptible boundaries I have drawn; boundaries that confine me to a certain American understanding of how to live in the world and interact with the people in it.” She will travel to Indonesia in June to complete a two-month language immersion course at Alam Bahasa Indonesia Language School in Yogyakarta before relocating to Banda Aceh.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-05-16T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/16/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Lisa Gulasy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2391">Languages & Literatures</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25366">Geosciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences" hreflang="und">Geosciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Julia Skrovan ’15</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jennifer Manna</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Louise Edwards '16 Receives Shansi Fellowship</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:35 +0000</p> <span>Louise Edwards '16 Receives Shansi Fellowship</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:35-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Louise Edwards ’16, a creative writing and neuroscience major and Africana studies minor, has been awarded a Shansi Fellowship with Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, China. While there, she will teach undergraduate and graduate English conversation and culture classes.</p> <p>Edwards learned about Shansi from her grandmother who participated in the program, then called 91ֱ��-in-China, from 1949-1950 in Chengdu, China. After Edwards’ family spent three weeks in China while she was in high school, she was convinced she wanted to return someday and spend more time there exploring her family’s connections to the country. “The Shansi fellowship is an opportunity for me to learn more about my biracial identity by engaging in cross-cultural learning,” she says.</p> <p>Her time in China will build on the cross-cultural learning she says played a major role in her education at 91ֱ��. She credits an impactful winter-term internship at the Christiansted National Historic Site in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, with helping her realize the connections between slavery and institutionalized racism in communities in the Caribbean and the United States. She says the internship inspired her to minor in Africana studies.</p> <p>As a creative writing major, Edwards says she believes language is “one of the most powerful tools people have at their disposal. What’s powerful about teaching English as a foreign language is that it provides students with another sphere of language they can access to express themselves and communicate with people—a second lens to view and understand the world.” Edwards has used her creative writing background to write about her travels and to help reflect and process her time abroad. She says she hopes to continue such writing while she is in China.</p> <p>While at 91ֱ��, Edwards served as the arts editor for the <em>91ֱ�� Review,</em> cohosted a WOBC radio show with her sister, and held leadership roles in her co-op.</p> <p>Edwards will depart for China on June 14 to take part in a two-month intensive Chinese language course in Beijing before she arrives in Taigu to teach English in the fall.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-05-16T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/16/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kasey Cheydleur</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2397">Shansi</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2391">Languages & Literatures</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Louise Edwards ’16 has been awarded a Shansi Fellowship with Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, China.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jennifer Manna</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>